Imprint
by Cunning Ravenclaw
Summary: Breaking Dawn spoilers. Renesmee is 40, living in Alaska, and madly in love with Jacob Black. Like her mother before her, though, her love story was meant to be complicated.


Imprint

Chapter One: "The Big 4-0"

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY RENESMEE!

As I stepped into the large manor, I glared at the sight that I found as soon as I stepped foot inside. Not only was there a large banner hanging on one wall, declaring my age and birthday, the entire living room had been cleared of its usual furniture and was replaced with things Aunt Alice thought suitable for my birthday party.

Pressed against the south wall right under the banner was a long, rectangular table covered with a lacey, pink table cloth; several pieces of expensive, intricately designed glass plates and glasses and silverware; a tall, four-layered birthday cake covered in frosting in a range of shades of pink with roses and the number 40 perched on the top layer; and finally, two vases on either side of the cake, over flowing with dark pink roses.

In the place of the television in the center of the room, there was a large, grand piano that resembled my father's, only it was charcoal gray and had several pink candles on top of it. A dimly lit chandelier hung over the grand piano, making sure the room was lit, but not brightly so. A stereo and large speakers sat in one corner of the room and a few feet away from it was another, yet smaller, rectangular table filled with gifts wrapped in shiny wrapping paper in several different colors, all solid colors with no designs.

It really was beautiful and I supposed I should thank Aunt Alice for the party that would be starting soon, but I really wasn't up for a party currently. I was exhausted, a fact Aunt Alice happily ignored. The plane taking us to our new home in Alaska had only landed a half an hour ago, and already I was being forced upon my own birthday party.

The party was set up in Cousin Tanya's home, as none of our stuff was unpacked yet. That was what everyone was doing while I stood Tanya's manor. The Cullen family and the Denali coven both had rushed next door to the new Cullen home to quickly unpack before the party. Aunt Alice had shoved me towards the manor, Cousin Kate giving me the directions to the guest bedroom where Aunt Alice's first gift was waiting.

It was an outfit. I knew that before I opened the door to the guest bedroom. What else would Aunt Alice give me but an outfit to wear to the party. Luckily it was a dark blue dress, so I wouldn't have to match the pink decorations and blend in. The dress really was quite lovely, but then again, my Aunt Alice knew how to pick clothes.

As soon as I slid my arm into the last strap of the dress, there was a voice in the doorway, soft and pleasant:

"Here…Let me help, Renee."

Looking up, I realized it was my mother. Over her arm was a mysterious black bag that worried me. She wore a sympathetic smile on her face and shrugged as she gently pushed me in the direction of the vanity, laying the black bag down and opening it.

"Your Aunt Alice wants everything to be perfect," she explained, pulling a comb out of the bag and pulling it through my curly, bronze hair. "She nearly came over here to do it herself, but I told her that I'd do it…Spend some quality time with my darling daughter…"

I smiled at our reflection in the mirror and relaxed as she styled my hair in an easy, yet elegant looking twist. She then smiled and tucked a few small orchids into my hair. She then turned me around in my hair as she began applying a light amount of make up to my face.

"How does it feel to be forty?" she asked, a smile curving up the corners of her full lips. It was the first time I really looked at her. She was just as dressed up as me in a lavender dress, her dark curls in a bun.

We looked more like sisters than mother and daughter, of course. My mother was a vampire, frozen in the body of someone not even twenty. I was a half-vampire and looked to be about her age. It had been difficult, at first, to stop calling her momma in public. People tended to look at you funny. Of course, they hadn't known I was nine years old at the time. I looked much older than that. In fact, I looked exactly as I did now, at the age of forty.

"It feels like any other day," I assured her, smirking. "It also feels amazing not to look forty!"

I laughed at that and she smiled, shaking her head as she tossed the blush back into the bag and stepped back, looking at me thoughtfully.

"I'm sure Alice won't kill me if I give you your present now," she muttered, "considering what it's for."

I watched her curiously as she quickly stepped out of the room and returned two seconds later holding one of the shiny gifts in her hand. I took it, examining it before opening it. The paper was shiny and subtly glittering and it was the color gold. Whatever it was, it was hard and in the shape of a rectangle that fit fine in both of my hands.

Setting it in my lap, I gently tugged one of the corners, ripping the paper right across the front. Quickly, I yanked off the rest of the gold wrapping paper and stared down at the wooden box in my lap. It was hard brown wood, beautiful, with orchids painted on the top of it. Orchids were my favorite.

"It's a jewelry box," Mom explained, smiling at me as I stared down at it. I ran my fingers over the orchids and my eyes moved down, noticed the gold flap keeping it closed. I flicked it up and pulled open the top, staring down into the nearly empty jewelry box. The box only held one piece of jewelry for the moment, and it was beautiful.

Mom pulled the locket out of box and walked around me to put it on me, as I often did have trouble with clasps. My fingers went up to my throat and felt for the cool locket, tears filling my eyes.

It was beautiful, and I didn't care that it matched the pink party waiting for my in the Denali Mansion living room. The chain holding the locket was made of pink pearls and the locket itself was rose gold, elegant designs carved into the top of it. I held it in my palm, admiring it. It was…Amazing.

"Th-…Mom, I…" I began, finding speaking difficult at the moment. "Thank you, it's…It's gorgeous!"

"My mom sent it to me a week before she died," Mom explained in a soft, sad voice. I felt sad, as well. I'd never gotten to meet my Grandma Renee…It was to keep her and ourselves safe. Our secret safe. Mom and I kept in contact with her, though, claiming to be in another country and unable to visit. We both had loved her dearly. She was the reason I switched my nickname from Nessie to Renee. That and because Nessie was really starting to annoy me the time I turned thirteen. "It had been my Grandma Marie's and she'd given it to my mother and she sent it to me…She'd completely forgotten she had it and was sorry she hadn't given it to me sooner. She said it would have made a lovely wedding gift…"

She fell silent, lost in thought, sad at the thought of her mother. She'd always dearly missed Grandma Renee and I had always wished I'd gotten to meet her. At least I'd been allowed to see Grandpa Charlie, but it still would have been nice…

I shook the sad thoughts away from my head and went back to admiring the locket before dropping it and letting it hit my collar bone.

"I love it! Thank you, Mom!" I said, standing up and pulling my mother into a tight hug.

This was the exact reason I was thrilled that my mother and father were vampires. They'd never die and neither would I. I'd never have to miss my mother the way she missed Grandma Renee. I could keep them forever.

"I love you, Renee, baby," she whispered to me, kissing me on the cheek before stepping back and smiling, looking me up and down. "You are gorgeous. More beautiful than your father, I must say!"

I chuckled and turned to my reflection. The dark blue dress fit me nicely, the flowy skirt hitting just above my knees and the bodice's beads matched those on the spaghetti straps. It really was beautiful and I'd have to find another excuse to wear it, though Aunt Alice wouldn't be pleased with the re-wearing of an outfit. I did vow that I'd wear the locket every day of my life. I adored it!

"Well, as far as hair and make up goes, Alice could have done better," Mom said, standing behind me. "She'll say so, anyway." She giggled softly. "She'll tell me I should have put more effort into it…" She shrugged and hugged me gently before linking her arm through mine, nudging my dark heels towards me. "Put those on and we shall go out to the party."

Groaning slightly, smile still in place, I slid on my shoes and let Mom lead me out into the living room.

Everyone was there now. Daddy sat at the piano, fingers moving gracefully across the keys with Aunt Rosalie and Cousin Tanya standing around him, swaying slightly with the music. Aunt Alice and Cousins Kate and Garrett stood by the cake, all chattering excitedly while Jacob-my Jacob-sat at the end of the table, eyeing the cake hungrily. Eleazar and Carmen were waltzing around the room gracefully, the only two dancing. Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper were standing by the presents, arguing quietly over something or other. Tanya's new mate, Lucas, was leaning against the wall talking to my grandparents. Grandpa Carlisle had his arm around Grandma Esme's waist and they were smiling, nodding every now and then at something Lucas would say.

The most surprising, and in my opinion favorite, guest was the one who my eyes landed on last. I quickly turned to look up at Mom who looked equally surprised to see Grandpa Charlie sitting in front of the door in his wheel chair, smiling at my mom and I. He was the only one looking at us at the moment. He was dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans, an outfit he'd wear fishing, with a heavy coat over it. A hat was sitting on top of his gray hair and his wrinkled skin didn't seem quite so old the way he was smiling at us, true joy and pride in his brown eyes.

He was seventy-eight years old, in a wheel chair after his fifth heart attack, and looked to fragile to be in a place so cold as Alaska. Better yet, he was so human he shouldn't be surrounded by fourteen vampires, a werewolf, and a half vampire.

"Grandpa Charlie!" I exclaimed, very happy to see him, though I knew it would be safer for him to have stayed in Forks. I ran forward, throwing myself into his arms, careful, though, not to hurt him. He chuckled into my hair, wrapping his arms around me.

"Hello, Little Renee," he said happily. "I love you."

"Dad!" said Mom from behind me, surprise clear in her voice. "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"Well, Carlisle said you were all back in the States and I figured that a trip to Alaska wasn't so bad, compared to a trip to London, so I figured I'd come see my daughter and granddaughter. You know, while I still can."

My heart ached as I pulled away, smiling at my grandfather. He was aging to quickly, I thought. Time for us passed rather quickly. This may have been the last time we saw him, and that hurt to think about. I loved Grandpa Charlie dearly.

"Oh, Daddy," Mom said sadly, walking forward. I stepped aside and let her carefully and slowly lean in to hug her father.

My eyes wandered around the room. We had everyone's attention now. They watched with interest and sympathy. Wanting more to avoid their gazes, I turned my attention back to Grandpa Charlie.

"Thank you for coming, Charlie," said Grandpa Carlisle. "You didn't need to risk your health to do so, but…"

Grandpa Carlisle seemed to understand Grandpa Charlie's reasons, and so he didn't mention much about his health.

"It's so good to see you again, Grandpa Charlie," I said, giving him another hug when Mom stepped back.

"I'm sure it is," Grandpa Charlie said sarcastically. "It's always great to see old men!"

"If it helps, Charlie," Aunt Alice said, skipping over, "most of us are all older than you!"

Grandpa Charlie chuckled and shook his head. He picked up a long rectangle he had in his lap and handed it to me. It was a present, wrapped in colorful wrapping paper with balloon designs all over it. It was different from the rest, but I loved it.

"Happy fortieth, Renee," he said, grinning.

"Thanks," I said, handing it to Aunt Alice.

"No, you can open it now, sweetie," she said, nodding. "Since your mother already gave you hers."

She turned to glare at Mom who shrugged.

"I was completing the ensemble," Mom explained, gesturing towards me. "You must admit it looks better with the locket."

Aunt Alice eyed me skeptically and sighed, shrugging.

"Fine. It's gorgeous!" Aunt Alice exclaimed. "You win this time, Bella. But only this once."

Mom scoffed. "Like you didn't know I was going to do it, anyway."

Aunt Alice grinned sheepishly before turning to me, looking at the present expectantly. Sighing, I tore the wrapping paper off of this gift and found myself holding a plain white, thin, rectangular box, the kind Aunt Alice usually packed clothes in for presents. Popping open the lid, I found that clothing was not what was in it, but lots of multi-colored tissue paper and a pair of earrings. Pink pearl earrings.

"Bella told me about the jewelry box and the locket," Grandpa Charlie explained as I held the earrings up to look at. "She showed me a picture and I saw those earrings at a store and…Well, do you like them?"

"They're lovely!" I said happily, taking them out of the cardboard they were pinned do and swiftly placed them in my ears. "Perfect match! I love them! Thanks, Grandpa Charlie!"

"Don't mention it," Grandpa Charlie muttered, turning pink.

We chuckled for a minute until Aunt Alice began clapping her hands, getting everyone's attention.

"Let's get this party started!" Aunt Alice said, skipping over to the table with a lighter. On her tip toes, she reached up for the candle, but was too short to reach. The whole room chuckling, Uncle Jasper rushed to her aid, taking the lighter and lighting the 4 and the 0 candles.

"We can't all be freakishly tall," Aunt Alice muttered, shaking her head. "Happy…"

"…Birthday to you," the crowed followed, Mom and Dad pushing me up away from Grandpa Charlie and towards the birthday cake. It really was too big a cake when only three people would be eating it. "…Happy Birthday, dear Renesmee! Happy birthday to you!"

"Make a wish," Dad muttered beside me.

Nodding, I looked to my other side. My Jacob was now beside me, holding my hand, grinning at me. I grinned in response, feeling warm and happy at the sight of his smile. Then, I pushed myself up to my toes and blew out the two candles as I thought my wish…

"Let me have what my mom and dad have," I wished silently. I then fell back on my heels and smiled. Beside me, I heard my dad chuckle to himself.

TBC

How was that for a start?


End file.
